30th January, 2012
Efforts by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to arraign the speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Honourable Adeyemi Sabit Ikuforiji, and his personal Assistant, Oyebode Alade Atoyebi at the Federal High Court, Lagos was unsuccessful Monday as the presiding judge, Justice James Tsogho, declined to hear the matter.
The EFCC had sought to arraign the speaker on a 20-count charge of alleged misappropriation of funds totaling N575, 992,584.50.
Justice Tsogho declined to hear the case citing personal reasons.
His words: “I decline the hearing of this case for personal reasons. The case file will be forwarded to the Chief Judge for possible re-assignment.”
Godwin Obla was the prosecution counsel, while Tayo Oyetibo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria was the defence counsel.
Count one of the 20-count charge reads: “That you, Rt. Honourable Adeyemi Sabit Ikuforiji and Oyebode Alade Atoyebi sometime between April 2010 and July 2011, in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did conspire among yourselves to do an illegal act, to wit accepting various cash payments amounting in the aggregate to the sum of N273,303,780 only from the Lagos State House of Assembly without going through a financial institution and thereby committed an offence contrary to sections 18 (a) of the money laundering (prohibition) Act, 2011 and punishable under sections 16(2) (b) of the same Act”.
Count two reads “That you, Rt. Honourable Adeyemi Sabit Ikuforiji, whilst being the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly and Oyebode Alade Atoyebi whilst being the personal assistant to the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly sometime between April 2010 and July 2011 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did accept a cash payment of the sum of N7,150,000 only from the Lagos State House of Assembly without going through a financial institution and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(a)_ of the Money Laundering (prohibition) Act, 2004 and punishable under section 15(2) (b) of the same Act”.